Re: Stranger in a strange land

benlizro@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Peter T. Daniels wrote:
Richard Herring wrote:

In message <43FDD944.6ACE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Peter T. Daniels

One hates to sound like E. D. Hirsch, but how does one become a
25-year-old American ca. 1990 without ever having heard of
Belshazzar's Feast?

When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my
highschool that went

Now King Belshazzar took delight in
Starting wars and doing fighting.
Sons of Israel he called scamps,
And he sent them off to work in concentration camps.

Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel,
Mene, mene, tekel upharsin.

Google doesn't know about it.

Me either, but I'm ca. 15 years younger than you.

It can't have been a very traditional song, because "concentration camp"
didn't exist before 1945!

Um. The term "concentration camp" has been in use at least since the
Boer War.

The Boer War wasn't exactly high in the consciousnesses of American
teenagers in either 1952 or 1967.

Granted, but _assuming_ that the song was composed around then is
putting cart before horse.

Not given the specific reference to "sons of Israel."

This ditty is based on a story from the Book of Daniel, in which, I
believe, Hebrews were involved.

and Richard Herring wrote:

IIRC he had twelve of them. It's a biblical phrase, composed well before
1948.

Guys, are you not aware that in 1952, the term "concentration camp" had
nothing to do with the Boer War, and everything to do with Jews?
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Stranger in a strange land
    ... Peter T. Daniels wrote in message ... Peter T. Daniels wrote: ... When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my ... Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel, ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Stranger in a strange land
    ... In message, Peter T. Daniels ... When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my ... Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel, ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Stranger in a strange land
    ... Peter T. Daniels wrote: ... Peter T. Daniels wrote in message ... When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my ... Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel, ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Stranger in a strange land
    ... When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my ... Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel, ... It can't have been a very traditional song, because "concentration camp" ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Stranger in a strange land
    ... When I was a 15-year-old American ca. 1952, we sang a song in my ... And he sent them off to work in concentration camps. ... Mene, mene, tekel, tekel, tekel, ...
    (sci.lang)
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